Little Falls man charged with two counts of burglary

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April 13, 2012 at 12:38 pm

Patrick Allan Holm, 52, Little Falls, was charged in Morrison County District Court with two felony counts of first degree burglary and two counts of third degree burglary.

Between Feb. 1 and April 5, a series of burglaries and thefts were investigated by local law enforcement officers, including three incidents by the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office. According to the criminal complaint, Holm and an accomplice drove around rural areas of Morrison and Stearns counties, feigned car trouble and approached farmhouses and outbuildings to see if doors were unlocked in an attempt to steal items and get rid of them at area pawnshops.

On Feb. 12, a witness reported that he had encountered a man inside of his rural house. When confronted, the man claimed he needed gas. The witness walked with the intruder to his car. In the car was Holm’s alleged accomplice, covering items under a blanket. The license plate number revealed it was the accomplice’s car and a photo line-up indicated it was Holm and the accomplice at the residence.

On Feb. 16, a burglary was reported at a farm, with stolen items listed found to be pawned in Mille Lacs County.

On March 15, the accomplice appeared at a pawn shop in Little Falls and was directed to leave by the proprietor because he had pawned items before that he suspected were stolen, according to the criminal complaint.

On April 3, a resident of a house near Randall reported to police that she saw a woman later identified as the accomplice open a garage shed with a screwdriver.

On April 4, both were stopped by St. Cloud Police. Holm was arrested and brought to the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office. He allegedly admitted to certain aspects of the Feb. 12 incident and terminated questioning when asked about items missing from rural households and barns.

If convicted, Holm faces a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and/or a $35,000 fine.